Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

At the rate that Sen. John McCain is losing consultants and campaign infrastructure, soon his presidential bid could be left with nothing but a cell phone and a rental car. But wouldn’t it be great if the Arizona Republican actually turned things around and proved that a race can be won without high-priced consultants?

Two advertising pros quit yesterday, joining a long list of departures from a campaign that once aimed to be the juggernaut of the GOP field. A McCain resurgence without professionals could strike a blow for democracy, challenging the consultancy class in both parties that grinds candidates into a mush of scripted talking points while siphoning a fortune from their campaigns.

Here’s hoping that McCain’s plan to appear unplugged this week in small New Hampshire venues pays off. There has to be something wrong with a field of presidential candidates already spending a combined total of $100 million every three months — mostly on payroll.